Dark in the Dollhouse Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Midnight Reaper

Read chapter 16 of Dark in the Dollhouse by Haspberry on NovelPedia.

A figure stood tall as he arose out of the shadow of a leaning wooden plank. Evander, now Varco, stretched a little and cracked his back under the dim light of the back alley pub. The resounding clamours of cups and unrestrained laughter could be heard coming from inside. As rowdy as always... he thought with a smirk. “Hmm, how many years has it been since I’ve last been here? Ten, or maybe nine perhaps?” He said in a calm voice as he walked to the front of the pub and slammed open the twin doors. The loud gossips and cheers typical of a pub in the docks at the brim of midnight halted. It was like a spike had been wedged into them. All eyes landed on Varco and for a second, only silence reigned supreme. “M-Midnight?” a young man stammered as he fell onto the floor. His eyes were wide and trembling, as if he was looking at the very personification of Death. And he wouldn’t be the only one. Half of the pub got up from their seats, the other half fell to the floor in a frenzy. All of them tried to scurry out the door in an attempt to flee, only to stop in their tracks, realising that if they did, their backs would be exposed to Varco. In the Lawless Lands of Ekad, there was one saying which was ingrained into the being of every resident, Never show your back to Death! So, none of them moved. They all stood still and unmoving, drenched in the sweat brought about by the most primordial fear of all. The crescent-eyed skull glimmered under dim lighting of the pub. It swayed lightly as Varco took slow steps forward. The entire pub was quiet. The quickened heartbeats of men drowning in their fear rang out like a music that fed the hungry Varco. He looked at them as his eyes relaxed, looking like he was being lulled to sleep. “Such a warm reception. I feel very moved,” he stopped and said in a soft spoken, almost whisper like voice. He smiled and looked at all the people. He continued, “I’m quite thirsty bartender. I’ll close my eyes for a moment, and within that moment, how about you whip me up something nice?” Varco closed his eyes. He stood still for a minute where not a sound rang out, only utter quietness. And when he opened his eyes, they were gone. Other than the shivering bartender, every single attendee of the pub had vanished. Not a soul remained in sight. Varco nodded with the same casual smile on his face. He sat down on the stool right in front of the bartender and picked his drink up from the counter. He leaned into the cup and sniffed it. It had a pleasant citrusy smell with a glistening, deep orange hue to it. He held it high above his head and looked at it under the weak light from the chandelier of the pub. “Hmm, smells and looks good. Now how about the taste?” He said languidly as he turned around with his legs crossed on the stool. With his back to the counter, he downed the drink in one gulp. “A fiery flavour that just slides down your throat. A dash of orange and death, just how I like it. You’ve done well, bartender. Here,” he said as he pulled out a gold coin out of his sleeve, twirled it around his fingers and flicked it behind towards the bartender. The bartender slipped at first, but was able to catch it with both hands as he fell to the ground, sweat pouring out of him in buckets. He opened his trembling hands and looked at the coin in disbelief, “A w-whole Gold tick...” his lips quivered. He stood up in flash and said, “A-ah I don’t d-deserve suc-!!” But before he could finish his words, Varco had disappeared. Huh? W-where did he go...? the bartender thought as he looked around in a frenzy. But he was nowhere to be seen. Up, down, left, right, he was completely gone. The bartender looked down. Atop the seat where he once sat and enjoyed his drink, there was no one, it was like the entire thing was nothing but a dream. Yet, he shivered. The bartender knew that what he just experienced was very, very real. Because, even if the man himself was gone, Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's pref